Stuffing doctors' mouths with gold SIR - The dying Labour Government clings to power by using age-old tactics. To prevent senior doctors from using their position and talents to act as advocates for patients they have deliberately given both consultants and GPs huge pay increases.

Remember Aneurin Bevan who advised similar tactics to smooth the emergence of the infant NHS. "Stuff their mouths with gold" he said and very effective it was. Now our GPs and consultants are the best paid in Europe and are expected to keep quiet just like their colleagues in different circumstances half a century ago. The cost in wales may be #100m or more in the next year.

The huge bill for the salary hike puts more pressure on the cash-starved NHS and alienates patients from their doctors who many will now see as "fat cats", happy to do the Governments bidding. Less favoured health workers become resentful of doctors who they see as undeserving of special treatment. Everyone likes money, especially when there is no extra work attached and few will have resisted the bribe. Doctors needed a better pay structure but this has been deliberately excessive.

Labour tacticians may feel that they have silenced discontent in the NHS but I suspect they are much mistaken. Together with their other tactics such as fickle reorganisations and threats of hospital closure they hope to distract the electorate from the obvious truth. Massive mismanagement is not hidden by scapegoating doctors and sowing discontent in the NHS.

The patient is still terminal.

SIAN CAIACH Former Orthopaedic Consultant, Trimsaran Road, Llanelli

Hain immigrant SIR - Alan Wightman of Newport says (Letters, April 13) that he dislikes the "irritating word incomers." So do I. I also dislike the word "in-migrants," which is the euphemism sometimes used in its place. Believing in calling a spade a spade, I prefer to call those who come to live to Wales from some other country, be it Pakistan, Australia or England, "immigrants". I see no reason to mince words.

It was the English who started using the word "immigrants" during the first half of the 19th century. They spoke of "Irish immigrants", though Ireland was, at the time, as much a part of the United Kingdom as Wales is today (more so - it didn't even have an Assembly).

Our esteemed Secretary of State Peter Hain is an immigrant. You would presumably count what he does as work. He is therefore an "immigrant worker". It makes him neither better nor worse for that, it just states that he is not from this country, but that he works here. Like other immigrants, he may assimilate - though he has shown no signs of doing so yet.

DR ROBYN LEWIS Nefyn, Gwynedd.

Freedom of choice SIR -I'd like to support Mr Charles' letter (April 11) with regard to the "Stop Jerry Springer" campaign.

I'm a big fan of the Western Mail but have never written in before. After reading the same old churned-out letters from Christian campaigners week in week out slating the show, it was a refreshing change to read Mr Charles's letter.

The wonderful thing about this world is that people are given a great deal of opinions and choices in life. If someone chooses to go and see Jerry Springer, well then that's their decision. People are not forced to go and see this show, so why are the Christian campaigners getting their knickers in a twist?

I consider myself a Christian and feel slightly uneasy with some of the letters that have been published opposing Jerry Springer. At the end of the day, people don't have to go and see this show and shouldn't demand or threaten those who want to see it.

Like the Christian campaigners, I'm sure, I have not seen this show. I will however buy tickets when the show comes to the Wales Millennium Centre and will make my own mind up when I see it.

MRS C PEARCE Taff Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff

Silly nuclear options SIR - When challenged by journalist Andrew Marr (April 9), as to whether the story that President Bush was planning a nuclear strike on Iran was true, Jack Straw said "That would be too silly", and of course I agree with him.

The consequences of the use of nuclear weapons anywhere in the world are too awful to contemplate.

Why do we make them? Why is our Government even considering a replacement for Trident? Why after years of saying nuclear power was too expensive are we suddenly being brainwashed into believing nuclear power is the inevitable way forward for the sake of climate change?

Is it pure coincidence that nuclear power is back on the agenda now that the military brass are wanting to up-date their toys?

The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were as powerful as a box of matches compared with the volcanic power now available in our arsenals. If Jack Straw thinks it would be silly to consider using nuclear weapons to stop Iran developing their own bomb and anyone in their right mind would agree, why not take the most obvious path and decommission our own bombs, stop making any more and lead by example.

Show the world that Britain has the sense to admit that to produce a weapon which would be silly to use is utter nonsense. I can think of lots of other worthwhile projects the vast amount of money saved could be used for. Then Britain would be in a position to preach to other nations on the folly of nuclear weapons.

VAL JONES Angle Road, nr Pembroke, Pembrokeshire

Housing application SIR - Articles have appeared in the press on comments made by Carmarthenshire County Council's chief executive Mark James who is defending a letter he sent to Llanelli town and rural councils.

The letter, he says, explains fully how vital a planning application for 450 houses at Stradey Park is to the survival of Llanelli Scarlets and without the development the "club would fold". He also said if that happened, creditors would sell the land, and the Government Inspector could on appeal designate this "green wedge" into a "brownfield site" and allow building on it anyway (without planning permission?).

The rural council has members intelligent enough to condemn any council or any chief executive who openly promotes an application, especially before it has been considered by their own planning committee.

This application must already have been compromised and has to be dealt with by the Assembly.

Minutes of a Llanelli Scarlets project board (January 13, 2005) show the chief executive together with four other top council officials in attendance. In what capacity did these people attend this meeting?

The Stradey development does not appear on the council's UDP to 2016. Others in the area have been refused as "the housing needs of the county have been fully met."

RAY JONES Sandy Road, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire

Perversion of justice SIR - When I worked in the steel industry and paid union fees I was allowed to opt out of paying that part of the fee which went to the Labour Party.

I believed that it was up to the individual to decide which party he or she supported, and not the union. I also believe that the same should be done with the BBC television licence, as the BBC seems to be the left wing of the Labour Party in promoting its policies on radio and television.

In one instance, on listening to BBC Radio Wales on Saturday April 8, the presenter was talking to the representative for Stonewall, the gay rights group, and their conference in Cardiff the same day. The rep talked at length about the rights of gays and homophobic bullying, and when he finished the presenter made a statement: he said that most of the general public agreed with his views.

When did the BBC speak on behalf of the people who do not agree with sexual orientation, and taught to our children as normal behaviour? And legalised by our Government, and if you speak out against it you are criminalised. Now that is a perversion of justice.

N PLAISTED Vivian Road, Newport

Blow to community SIR - Regarding the proposed closure of Eglwys Wen Primary School in Whitchurch, Cardiff, have the Liberal Democrats considered the following?

Eglwys Wen is a thriving school. It has consistently increased in numbers. Why has this highly successful school been considered for closure? It is a school at the heart of the community.

Only 150 children can be accommodated in schools in the surrounding area. Where will the remaining 162 children be educated?

Eglwys Wen has had a successful partnership with Ysgol Melin Gruffydd for 25 years. Why now decide to break up a winning partnership?

There will be increased levels of traffic through Whitchurch village, due to the fact that the majority of children will not be able to walk to school.

There will be overcrowding of schools in the surrounding area. Class sizes will increase, impacting on the quality of the children's education.

Cardiff will become a city with increased rates of unemployment.

Prices of property will be affected and people will be forced to move out of the city.

This proposal must be voted against to avoid destroying the community of Whitchurch.